System for and method of weather phenomenon detection using multiple beams

Abstract

The method includes providing a first radar pulse at a first beam position during a radar scan and receiving a first return, the first radar pulse being a velocity sampling beam. The method also includes providing a second radar pulse at a second and different beam position during the radar scan and receiving a second return, the second radar pulse overlaps and is not identical to the first radar pulse. The method further includes providing a third radar pulse using a lower gain wider beam width beam pattern at the first beam position during the radar scan and receiving a third radar return, the third radar pulse being a side lobe detection beam. The method can also include processing the first return, the second return and the third return and using data associated with the first return, the second return and the third return to determine a presence of weather phenomenon and to identify and remove returns from non-weather targets.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of using an airborne weather radar, the method comprising:
 providing a first radar pulse at a first beam position during a radar scan and receiving a first return, the first radar pulse being a velocity sensing beam; 
 providing a second radar pulse at a second beam position during the radar scan and receiving a second return, the second radar pulse overlaps and is not identical to the first radar pulse; 
 providing a third radar pulse using a lower gain with a wider beam width at the first beam position during the radar scan and receiving a third radar return, the third radar pulse being a side lobe detection beam; and 
 processing the first return, the second return and the third return and using data associated with the first return, the second return and the third return to identify and remove non-weather targets weather phenomena detection. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first radar pulse, the second radar pulse and third radar pulse are provided simultaneously and coded separately. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the weather phenomenon is a wind shear hazard and the data associated with the second return is used to remove ground targets from the data associated with the first return, and the data associated with the first return includes spectral width data and the data associated with the second return is used to determine a presence of the weather phenomenon. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ground targets are removed using angle domain editing. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing a fourth radar pulse during the radar scan and receiving a fourth radar return, the first radar pulse being a rain cell test beam, wherein the weather phenomenon is wind shear and the method further comprises processing the fourth radar return, and using data associated with the fourth radar return to determine a presence of weather phenomenon. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein side lobe targets are removed using the third radar return, wherein the side lobe targets are identified when the third radar return is larger in strength than the first radar return. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first, second and third pulses are provided using a split aperture antenna. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first, second and third pulses are provided using an electronic scanning antenna. 
     
     
       9. A weather radar system coupled to a weather radar antenna, the weather radar system comprising:
 a memory; 
 a processor coupled to the antenna and directing the antenna to provide: 
 a first radar pulse at a first beam position during a radar scan and receive a first return, the first radar pulse being for velocity sampling; 
 a second radar pulse at a second beam position during the radar scan and receive a second return, the second radar pulse overlaps and is not identical to the first radar pulse; 
 a third radar pulse at the first beam position having a lower gain and a wider beam width than the first radar pulse during the radar scan and receive a third radar return, the third radar pulse being for side lobe detection; and 
 wherein the processor stores return data associated with the first radar pulse in the memory, return data associated with the second radar pulse in the memory, and return data associated with the third radar pulse in the memory and uses the return data associated with the first radar pulse, the return data associated with the second radar pulse, and the return data associated with the third radar pulse to identify returns from non-weather targets and wherein the processor determines a presence of wind shear. 
 
     
     
       10. The weather radar system of  claim 9 , wherein the processor removes ground targets using the return data associated with the first radar pulse, and the return data associated with the second radar pulse. 
     
     
       11. The weather radar system of  claim 10 , wherein the processor uses angle domain editing to remove the ground targets. 
     
     
       12. The weather radar system of  claim 11 , wherein the processor determines if a target is in a side lobe using the return data associated with the third radar pulse. 
     
     
       13. The weather radar system of  claim 12 , wherein the target is considered in the side lobe if power is higher in the return data associated with the third return than in the return data associated with the first return. 
     
     
       14. The weather radar system of  claim 9 , wherein the weather radar antenna is a selectable subaperture antenna. 
     
     
       15. The weather radar system of  claim 9 , wherein the weather radar antenna is an electronically scanned antenna. 
     
     
       16. The weather radar system of  claim 15 , wherein the processor directs the antenna to provide a fourth radar pulse during the radar scan, the fourth radar pulse for a rain test and wherein the processor stores return data associated with the fourth radar pulse in the memory, and uses the return data associated with the fourth radar pulse to determine the presence of wind shear. 
     
     
       17. An apparatus for sensing weather, the apparatus comprising:
 means for receiving a first return associated with a velocity sampling beam provided during a radar scan, a second return associated with a non-identical, overlapping radar beam provided during the radar scan, and a third radar return associated with a side lobe beam provided during the radar scan; and 
 means for processing the first return, the second return and the third return, and using data associated with the first return, data associated with the second return, and data associated with the third return to remove non-weather targets when determining a presence of wind shear. 
 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the means for receiving is a split selectable subaperture antenna. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the means for receiving is an electronically steered antenna. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the velocity sampling beam, the overlapping radar beam, and the side lobe beam are each provided at 3 KHz sampling rate.